Pharmacomechanical Thrombolysis

A patient presents for pharmacomechanical thrombolysis of left, femoral, popliteal and iliac deep venous thrombosis (DVT). This procedure is currently coded to 39.79 in ICD-9-CM. After referencing the General Equivalence Mappings (GEMS) we noted that the root operation choices for 39.79 are Restriction and Occlusion. We don’t agree with these choices and would like to code the pharmacomechanical thrombolysis of the DVTs to the root operation Extirpation: Taking or cutting out solid matter from a body part. Would you please advise how this procedure should be coded in ICD-10-PCS and is it appropriate to select additional root operations outside of the GEMS? ...

Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.

articles:   
Note:  The following article synopsis was NOT provided by the AHA. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.

Article Overview

This article addresses a coding question about pharmacomechanical thrombolysis for deep venous thrombosis and how the service should be approached in ICD-10-PCS. It also discusses the role and limitations of the General Equivalence Mappings (GEMS) when moving from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-PCS. The content is aimed at coders and others working with procedural code translation and PCS root operations.

Why This Topic Matters

The article matters because it highlights a common transition issue from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-PCS and clarifies that mapping tools alone may not be sufficient for accurate procedure coding. It is relevant for coders seeking guidance on PCS root-operation concepts and the proper use of reference tools during code assignment.

What You Will Learn

  • How the topic of pharmacomechanical thrombolysis is framed within ICD-10-PCS coding
  • Why GEMS is discussed in relation to procedure code translation
  • What kinds of guidance are provided about root-operation selection in ICD-10-PCS
  • How the article is relevant to coders working with DVT-related procedures

Who Should Read This

  • Medical coders
  • Coding educators
  • Revenue cycle professionals
  • Health information management professionals

Codes Discussed

  • ICD-9-CM: 39.79

Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.

articles:   
  • The official AHA publication for ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS coding guidelines and advice
  • Current newsletters added each quarter
  • Full Archives - over 3100 articles
  • ALL years/issues back to 1984 organized by year and issue
  • Includes ICD-10-CM/PCS Articles since 2013
  • Fully searchable through Find-A-Code's Comprehensive Search
  • Codes mentioned in articles are linked to Code Information pages
  • Code Information pages link back to related articles
  • View all the articles associated with any code, right from the code page!
Access to this feature is available in the following products:
  • AHA's Coding Clinic® - ICD-10-CM/PCS +Archives

demo
request yours today
 subscribe
start today
 newsletter
free subscription

Thank you for choosing Find-A-Code, please Sign In to remove ads.

Aimee- AI -powered coding assistant - Try it now for Free Would you like Aimee - AI
to help you with this?